Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars

Imagine a crumbly lemon coffee cake, studded with fresh juicy blueberries. Next, imagine a creamy lemon cheesecake. Now put these two ideas together and enjoy them in “bar form.” That is what these Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars are! Similar to coffee cake in flavor and texture, but with a cheesecake filling and drizzled with a lemon glaze while warm. 

Lemon blueberry crumb bars are similar to a classic strudel-style coffee cake. This recipe is fun to make and the lemony frosting is out of this world. These are also known as lemon blueberry crumb bars and lemon blueberry crumble.  You bake them in a 9×13″ baking pan or casserole dish. Let them cool just enough to drizzle that glaze made with fresh lemons over it.

Welcome to #LemonWeek 2022 hosted by Lynn from Fresh April Flours and Rebecca from Devour Dinner.  This week is sponsored by Rodelle and La Tourangelle. I may have received product samples from these sponsors to help in the creation of my recipes. All opinions are my own. Come join me and my fellow Lemon Week bloggers as we bring you recipes from appetizers to drinks to entrées and desserts! Enter to win the prize package at the bottom of this recipe post!

Lemon Blueberry Bars with Cake Mix

These are not “box lemon bars,” but they do use a cake mix.  So I guess you would call them mostly homemade? The cake mix combined with butter makes the streusel-like crust, then a homemade lemon cheesecake filling is added.

But don’t stop there, because you’ll top the cheesecake with fresh juicy blueberries, and more of the streusel mix to form that crumb topping. Finish them off with a slightly tart lemon glaze drizzled over the top while they are warm, and you have these bars that are so delicious, you may just think they were heaven sent! 

If you love the combination of lemon and blueberry – you are sure to love these Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls, my Lemon Blueberry Trifle and this delicious Lemon Blueberry Pull-Apart Bread!  

My Favorite Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars for more than a Decade

The first time I made these lemon blueberry crumb bars was back in 2011. I made them for one of my lifelong friends for her birthday. Then, we had been friends for 30 years! I guess that means that friendship has stretched another decade at this point?

I’m not sure when birthdays lose their “fun” as far as getting another year older? I mean, remember when we even counted by half years?

Most of us don’t get too excited about adding another year to the age on our driver’s license, little alone saying “I am 40 something and a half.” So, from here on out, I have decided that instead of counting it as one year older, I’d count it as another year of great birthdays!

Here are a few photos of my friend, Sheri and me back in the 1980s, and early 1990s. 

We’ve been through a lot over the years!  Boys, sleepovers, prank phone calls to “teen lines,” make-up, boys, cars, Friday night car cruising, boys,  late-night phone calls, concerts, and did I mention boys?!?

Weddings and births of babies, growing our families, and losing loved ones. Four decades hold a lot of memories.

Ingredients in blueberry lemon crumble bars

• Butter -salted or unsalted works fine
• Yellow cake mix – gives it that buttery taste!
• Eggs – large eggs
• Lemons – fresh ripe lemons are best
• Cream cheese – full-fat works best.
• Sugar – granulated sugar
• Blueberries – fresh blueberries work best, but you can use frozen in a pinch
• Powdered sugar – for making the icing

How to make lemon blueberry crumble bars

You will find complete measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil, extending over the sides. Microwave the butter in a mixing bowl until it melts. Add to this the cake mix, egg, and lemon juice. Beat with a mixer until well blended.

Use 2/3 of this mixture to press into the bottom of the pan. 

Beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar. Add remaining egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat.
Spread over the crust. Top with blueberries.

Take the remaining crust and pinch small pieces evenly over the blueberries.
Bake until the center is almost set.

Make a lemon glaze by adding the remaining lemon juice to the powdered sugar until it’s a “drizzle” consistency.

Drizzle the glaze over the warm bars.

Cool completely in the refrigerator (approximately one hour)
Now you can use the foil “handles” to remove the bars from the pan to cut them.

Enjoy!

Love them? Pin them!

Don’t forget where you found the recipe for these delicious Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars! Pin them to your favorite Pinterest dessert board before you go!

Do you serve crumb bars warm or cold?

Blueberry crumb bars I think are best just warm enough not to melt the frosting off. But, they can also be served cool or slightly chilled even. The lemon cheesecake style filling tastes even more lemony when they are just warmed a little bit. (But not too hot to melt everything and cook those blueberries even more!) 

So, serve them from the fridge, or warm them for a few minutes at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit in a toaster oven, then serve.

How to store lemon crumble bars

Keep your leftover bars covered tightly and store in the fridge. They will keep for about 4 or 5 days that way, but I seriously doubt you can keep them around that long.

Freezer Instructions

These bars freeze beautifully since the cream cheese layer is baked, giving them a stable, cheesecake-like texture.

• Cool completely before freezing.
• Skip the glaze until after thawing.
• Cut into bars and flash-freeze on a baking sheet for about an hour, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment between layers.
• Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then drizzle with glaze before serving.

They’ll keep well for up to 3 months and taste just as delicious once thawed.

What to serve with lemon blueberry cheesecake bars

These bars make perfect treats to serve with coffee or tea. But if you are bringing them to serve at brunch, then they actually make a great side for breakfast casseroles or just plain old bacon and eggs. 

Notes on serving lemon crumble bars

• Make sure to let the crumble bars cool in the pan long enough before adding the glaze over the top. The bars should be warm enough to allow the glaze to melt a bit, but not so hot the glaze just melts right through the bar. If you can touch it without burning your finger, then that is ok to frost. 
• Chill the bars first before removing them from the pan and cutting them into individual bars. 
• You can sub nonfat or low-fat cream cheese, but they are so good with the full-fat kind!

More tasty bar recipes to check out

• Strawberry Sour Cream Crumb Bars
• Sugar Cookie Bars
• Raisin Spice Bars
• Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Pumpkin Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust
• S’mores Cookie Bars
• Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Rhubarb Crumble Bars (pictured above)
• Salted Nut Roll Bars
• Dutch Letter Bars
• Fresh Orange Bars

Wednesday #LemonWeek Recipes

• • Lemon Curd Layer Cake by Fresh April Flours
  • Lemon Poke Cake by Blogghetti
  • Lemonade Cake by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
  • Crepes with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone by Art Of Natural Living
  • Braided Lemon Bread with Blackberries by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
  • Chicken Costoletta by Cheese Curd In Paradise
  • Lemon Lush by Devour Dinner
  • Lemon Cheesecake Bars by Best Cookie Recipes
  • Lemon Pudding Cake by The Freshman Cook
  • Lemon Cheesecake Bombs by Simply Inspired Meals
  • One Pot Lemon Garlic Pasta Recipe by The Fresh Cooky
  • Lemon Loaf Cake by A Day In The Life On The Farm
  • Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Pudding Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie
  • Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars by An Affair From The Heart
  • Mini Lemon Cheesecakes by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
  • Lemon Sorbet by Jen Around The World
  • Lemon Blueberry Waffles by Lemon Blossoms
  • Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies by Home Cooked Harvest
  • Lemon Rosemary Marmalade by That Recipe
  • Lemon Crepes by The Redhead Baker
  • Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake by Jonesin’ For A Taste
  • Lemon Coriander Soup by Magical Ingredients

So lemony good and smothered in blueberries (which are a natural anti-oxidant by the way) You’ll want to make them over and over again. 

So let’s preserve our youth and celebrate more birthdays!   

I first posted these Lemon Blueberry Bars on September 23, 2011. They have been updated to improve user experience and re-shared on May 24, 2022.